1. إِنّي امرؤ مِن رَعَى عَيني رعيتُ لَه

    مِني الذمامَ ومن أَنكرتُ أنكرني

    I am a man: whoever guards my eye, I keep for him

    my pledge of loyalty; whoever I disown disowns me.

  2. أَما بَنو هاشِمٍ حَولي فَقَد فَزعُوا

    نبل الضَبابِ الَّتي جَمَّعت في قَرَنِ

    As for the sons of Hashim around me, they have taken fright—

    the lizards' arrows, gathered in a quiver.

  3. فَما بِيَثرِبَ منهم مَن اُعاتِبُهُ

    إِلّا عَوائِدَ أَرجوهُنَّ مِن حَسَنِ

    So there is none among them in Yathrib whom I reproach,

    save over customary favors I hope for from Hasan.

  4. وَذاكَ من يأتِهِ يَعمَد إِلى رجلٍ

    في كُلِّ صالحةٍ أَو صالحٍ قَمِنِ

    And whoever comes to that man seeks someone

    fit for every good deed or worthy cause.

  5. لا يُسلمُ الحمدَ للسُوّام إِن سَخِطوا

    بَل يَاخذُ الحَمدَ بالغالي مِن الثَمَنِ

    He does not surrender praise to the bidders, should they be displeased;

    rather, he buys praise at the dearest price.

  6. ما زالَ ينمي وَزالَ اللَهُ يَرفعُهُ

    طَولاً عَلى بغضِه الأَعداءَ والإجنِ

    He has kept growing, and God has kept raising him,

    in eminence, despite his enemies' hatred and grudges.

  7. أَماتَ في جَوفِ ذي الشحناءِ ظِنَّتَهُ

    وَكان داءً لِذي الشَحناءِ وَالظَنَنِ

    He killed the spiteful man's suspicion within his belly,

    and was an affliction to the spiteful and suspicious.

  8. إِذا بَنو هاشِمٍ آلَت بِأَقدُحِها

    إِلى المَفيضِ وَخافت دولةَ الغبنِ

    When the sons of Hashim go with their gaming arrows

    to the lot-drawer and fear a turn toward loss,

  9. حازَت يَدا حَسَنٍ قَدَحينِ من كَرَمٍ

    لَم يَعمَلا نشب المبراةِ وَالسَفَنِ

    Hasan's two hands win two arrows of generosity,

    not fashioned from wood by trimming-knife and scraper.

  10. لا يَستَريحُ إِلى إِثمٍ وَلا كذبٍ

    عند السؤالِ وَلا يجتنُّ بالجننِ

    He takes no comfort in sin or falsehood

    when petitioned, nor shelters behind shields.

  11. ما قالَ أَفعلُ أَمضاهُ لوِجهَتِهِ

    وَما أَبى لُجَّ ما يأبى فَلَم يكنِ

    Whatever he says, 'I shall do,' he carries through to its goal;

    and whatever he refuses, however persistently urged, never happens.

  12. ما اطَّلعَت رأسها كيما تُهَدِّدُني

    حصا تطرَّحُ مِن يعيى عَلى شَزَنِ

    Never has it raised its head to threaten me—

    the gravel that casts the weary onto rugged ground—

  13. إِلّا ذكرتُ ابنَ زيدٍ وَهوَ ذو صِلَةٍ

    عند السنين وَعوّادٌ عَلى الزمَنِ

    but I recall the son of Zayd, a giver of bounty

    in famine years, ever returning to the infirm.

  14. فاِسلم وَلا زالَ مِن عاداكَ مُتحمِلاً

    غيظاً وَلا زالَ معفوراً عَلى الذقنِ

    So be safe; may whoever opposes you always bear

    rage, and always lie dust-covered upon his chin.

  15. لَن يعتبِ اللَهُ أَنفاً فيكَ أَرغمهُ

    حَتّى تَزول رَواسي الصخر مِن حضَنِ

    God will never appease a nose He has rubbed in dust for your sake,

    until the firmly rooted rocks move away from Hadan.

  16. إِذا خلوت بِهِ ناجيتَ ذا طَبَنٍ

    يأوي إِلى عَقلِ صافي العقلِ مُؤتَمَنِ

    When alone with him, you confide in a man of discernment,

    who takes refuge in reason, clear-minded and trustworthy.

  17. طَلقُِ اليدينِ إِذا اضيافُهُ طرقوا

    يَشكونَ مِن قرّةٍ شَكواً ومن وسَنِ

    Open-handed when his guests arrive by night,

    complaining of cold and of drowsiness,

  18. يأتوا يعدّون نجم اللَيلِ بينهُمُ

    في مستحيرِ النَواحي راهقِ السِّمَنِ

    they come counting the night's stars among themselves

    in a broad-sided dish, laden with fat.

  19. ثُمَّ اِغتَدَوا وهم دُسمٌ شواربُهُم

    وَلَم يَبيتوا عَلى ضَيحٍ من اللَبَنِ

    Then they depart at dawn, their mustaches greasy,

    not having spent the night on watered-down milk.

  20. قَد جَعل الناس حَيّاً حَولَ منزلِه

    شَفاً كقرنِ أَثيثِ الرأسِ مدَّهنِ

    He has made the people a clan around his dwelling,

    a fringe like a braid on a thick-haired, oiled head.

  21. فهم إِلى نائِلٍ مِنهُم ومنفعةٍ

    يَعطونها ثكنٌ تَهوي إِلى ثكنِ

    So they seek a gift from them and a benefit

    they are granted, throngs swooping toward throngs.

  22. أَوصافُ زيدٍ بِأَعلى الأَمرِ منزلَة

    فَما أَخذتَ قَبيحَ الأَمرِ بالحَسنِ

    Zayd's qualities hold the highest rank;

    so you have not taken ugly conduct in place of good.

  23. خَلّاتُ صُدقٍ وَأَخلاقٌ خُصِصْتَ بِها

    فَلَم يَضِعنَ وَلَم يُخلطنَ بالدَرَنِ

    True qualities and virtues with which you were singled out—

    they have neither been lost nor mingled with grime.

  24. تلقى الأيامِنَ من لاقاك سانحةً

    وَجهٌ طَليقٌ وَعودٌ غير ذي أَبَنِ

    Favorable omens cross the path of whoever meets you:

    an open face, and stock free of knots.

  25. وَأَنتَ مِن هاشِمٍ حَقّاً إِذا اِنتَسَبوا

    في المنكبِ اللينِ لا في المنكبِ الخَشِنِ

    And you are truly of Hashim when they trace their descent,

    on the gentle shoulder, not on the rough shoulder.

  26. بَنوكَ خَيرُ بنيهِم إِن حلفتَ لَهُم

    وَأَنتَ خَيرهُمُ في اليُسرِ وَاللزنِ

    Your sons are the best of their sons, if you swear on their behalf;

    and you are their best in prosperity and distress.

  27. وَاللَهُ آتاكَ فَضلاً مِن عَطِيَّتِهِ

    عَلى هَنٍ وهنٍ فيما مَضى وَهِنِ

    And God has given you distinction from His bounty

    above so-and-so and so-and-so in days gone by, and so-and-so.